Company News
Magna Tyres drops Obo name
It’s almost three years since Magna Tyres Group acquired OBO Tyres, the largest retreader in the Netherlands. Since that time, the Obo facility in Hardenberg has been instrumental in Magna’s ‘Made in Holland’ production plans. The site has now been renamed ahead of a further increase in capacity for these products. The Obo business in Germany has also gained a new name.
Nokian Tyres eliminating 41 jobs at Finnish plant
Upon concluding negotiations with employee representatives today, Nokian Tyres has announced it will make 41 workers at its plant in Nokia, Finland redundant. The tyre maker adds that 11 of these redundancies will take the form of retirement or “other agreed arrangements”. It is also still evaluating the possibility of relocating employees within the group, a measure that may decrease the total number of job reductions.
Prinx Chengshan hosts dealer conference in Xi’an
On 16 October Prinx Chengshan held its 2019 International Dealer Conference in the historic city of Xi’an. The theme for this year’s conference, which was held four years after the last one, was: "together for future".
Faster & less wasteful: Prinx Chengshan’s Thailand plant
The tyre plant that Prinx Chengshan is building in Thailand is expected to enter operation next year, and the tyre maker reports that it will extensively use intelligent manufacturing systems to achieve greatly enhanced efficiencies. It says production efficiency will be increased by 20 per cent in the new plant. The production cycle itself will be shortened by 20 per cent, work efficiency increased by 40 per cent and raw material wastage reduced by 80 per cent.
Sumitomo Rubber using AI to increase whole-life tyre performance
Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. has developed a new technology that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to estimate the properties of the rubber used in its tyres and also detect the structural changes that occur during use. It calls this technology ‘Tyre Leap AI Analysis’.
Pirelli responds to RCS/Blackstone rumours
Pirelli has responded to "recent press rumours". It states that it "has never sent any communication to the Board of Directors of RCS in relation to the Blackstone situation."
NeroForce offers “ecological and economical” solutions for tyre and retreading industries
Based in Leipheim, Germany, NeroForce develops tools, machines and consumables to the latest standards, led by a professional team of experts who have decades of experience in the industry.
Point S enters China
Point S has moved into the Chinese market in cooperation with local partner Suremoov. Suremoov brings 950 franchised outlets with it into the international Point S network. The Suremoov brand has been in existence since 2004 and specialises in bodywork and car care.
Michelin to purchase additional SIPH shareholding
Michelin intends to acquire all shares in Société Internationale de Plantations d’Hévéas (SIPH) not already owned by itself or Ivory Coast-based company SIFCA. It is launching a public buyout offer on 7 November, offering 85 euros per share. This buyout offer is being made exclusively in France and will be followed by a squeeze out.
Yokohama Rubber offers show visitors glimpse into tyre future
A window into the future of tyres, Yokohama-style, awaits visitors to the Tokyo Motor Show. The Yokohama Rubber stand will feature a “future technologies corner”, at which Yokohama will introduce its CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared & Services) technologies.
No-deal Brexit & European e-commerce
In addition to impacting upon the UK’s automotive industry, a no-deal Brexit presents complications for online tyre and car parts businesses. To gain an insight into changes in customer purchasing habits as Brexit approaches, courier express parcel company DPDgroup tasked market research institute GfK with assessing trends in e-commerce. GfK surveyed 24,258 e-shoppers in 21 European countries on behalf of DPDgroup. What it found was that the payment of additional taxes and duties, as well as longer delivery times, could prove a stumbling block to the future development of cross-border e-commerce in Europe.
Linglong Tire cancels NBA China Games partnership
Linglong Tire has withdrawn its support for the NBA China Games, which are taking place in Shanghai and Shenzhen this week. In a Chinese-language press release, the tyre maker stresses that the interests of the motherland, the People’s Republic of China, take precedence over everything else.
Michelin to close truck tyre factory in France
The Michelin Group informed the 619 employees at its tyre production facility in La Roche-sur-Yon, France this morning that it will close the site by the end of next year. In addition, 74 people at Michelin’s Cholet plant, employees working in roles related to the supply of rubber mixed to the La Roche-sur-Yon site, are also affected by the closure.
Nokian Tyres opens USA factory
Just over two years after groundbreaking, Nokian Tyres officially opened its new North American production facility. A ceremony was held at the Dayton, Tennessee plant on 2 October to mark the start of operations. The facility is currently engaged in trial production and is expected to be ready to make tyres for commercial use in early 2020.
Going global together: Auto Express & Auto Bild announce licensing partnership
The team at Tyrepress.com view independent tyre tests as an invaluable consumer purchasing tool. We will therefore follow the new licensing partnership between Auto Express and Auto Bild with interest, particularly in regards to how it influences both publications’ approach to tyre testing.